Safety razor



April 2,1946. N, TEST, 2,397,890

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 2, 1946.

N. TESTI 2,397,890

SAFETY RAZOR FiledFeb. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l' im. [7,

wwf/V755'. 44%4 A Patentedl Apr. 2,1946

SAFETY RAZOR Nicholas Testi, Boston, Mass., assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application February 14, 1945, Serial No. 577,759

4 Claims.

l mercial conditions of transportation and distribution, and in the more-or-less casual treatment of such blades by the user, the extremely ne, keen edge of the blade is likely to become dulled by being brought into contact with its Wrapping or with other objects before it can be actually clamped in shaving position in the razor. On this account, the .best and most successful efforts of the manufacturer in sharpening blades isoften rendered futile because of damage done to the very fragile and delicate structure of the blade edge after it has been brought to the keenest possible shaving condition and before the shaving operation is actually undertaken.

The present invention consists in an improved blade magazine and a novel combination of safety razor and magazine, whereby a fresh sharp blade may be introduced mechanically and accurately into nal shaving position in the razor in such a manner that its edges are safeguarded from contact with any part of the razor head while the used blade is at the same time displaced to make room for the fresh blade, and finally the used blade is mechanically withdrawn from the safety razor. The magazine by which these steps are carried out serves as a container wherein an ample supply of blades may be safely maintained with their edges protected from contact and from which fresh blades may be delivered successively to the safety razor after a preliminary displacement of the used blade to provide passage for the fresh blade.

An important feature of the invention consists in a. blade magazine constructed and arranged to be interlocked or otherwise associated with a razor head for blade delivery, and provided with means for lifting the used blade from the blade seat, or causing it to be lifted, so as to make way for the'fresh blade which isv to be subsequently presented. As herein shown, the magazine is provided at its delivery end with projections in the shape of spaced anges adapted to be inserted between the end of the blade and the blade seat when the magazine is brought into operative relation with the safetyrazor head'and before the blade-feeding device is operated. In this way the used blade is lifted by a prying or wedging action and the blade-receiving end of the blade seat is cleared 'for the reception of the oncoming fresh blade.

Another feature ofthe invention consists in a A blade magazine equipped with a feeding device having blade-engaging or gripping means, constructed and arranged to seize the used blade in its displaced position ln the safety razor and then to withdraw it from the razor either by retracting movement of the feeding device or simultaneously with the separating movement of the razor and the magazine; Y

The construction of the safety razor head itself is of secondary importance as long as its clamping members may be arranged to present between them a passage through which the fresh blade may reach shaving position in registration with the blade-locating projections of the razor. The particular safety razor herein shown for purposes of illustration, however, includes a novel blade `hold-down device, preferably comprising an elongated spring movably retained between the co-operating blade-clamping members and shaped to. engage and hold a blade inserted beneath it while leaving the blade free to be moved against yielding pressure to a released position preparatory to its withdrawal from the razor.

These and other features 'of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale showing the ymagazine and a safety razorl ing the several parts of a safety razor head and a blade; v

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views in perspective showing the interlocking or telescoping of the magazine and razor; l

Fig.v 8 is a view in perspective of the guard member of the razor with a blade located thereon; and

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of one end of the magazine illustrating the operation of withdrawing the used blade.

The magazine herein described is intended for handling double-edged slotted blades ,of the wellknown Gillette type. It is, however, not limited to that blade or to blades of any specific shape view in perspective of thel parts but. van appropriate modifications may be readily adapted for handling blades ofother types,

all within the scope o! the-invention.

The illustrated blade I l, as best shown in Figs. 5. and 8, is sharpened at both longitudinal edges i and provided in its corners with' reentrant notches which define elongated unsharpened end portions at each end of the blade. The blade is also provided with a longitudinal medial slot II, having a centralpenlargement for the passage of the clamping spindle and intermediate diamondshaped enlargements I2 arranged to tlt the bladelocating projections of the different razors with which the blades are adapted for use. The slot I I may be closed'at both ends as herein shown or `it may be opened at one end. The blades are usually of sheet steel .004 to .001 inch in thicknessv and therefore readily take a, transverse curl vature wh'en clamped in position between the cap and guard members of the razor head.

For purposes of illustration, I have selected a blade magazine of the general-type disclosed in my 'prior Patent No. 2,330,252, in which a staclr of blades is maintained in longitudinally staglgered relation.

. row for indicating the direction in which the feed,

slide should be moved to deliver a blade, as will presently appear. 4Short stop pins I8 extend upwardly from the flanges I6 at both ends of the magazine and serve to limit the movement of the feed slide. Rectangular flanges I9 are formed in the sidewalls I4 and I5 at each end of the magazine and'these flanges serve as guides for the end of the guard member of the safety razor when the latter is introduced into the magazine.

The magazine casing contains a blade-carrying unit which may be formed of plastic material and includes a base 201,111 which is formed an elongated rectangular well 2I. Projecting up-r vides a projection in the magazine for engaging v a used blade in the razort and lifting or prying it of! the blade seat preparatory to the presentation of a fresh blade. e

.The ymagazine includes', in its organization a feed slide 21 vwhich slides upon the top flanges I6 of the magazine casing and has walls which embrace the side walls I4 and I5 of the casing.

VA portion 21 of the feed slide 21 extends apprebridge of thefeed slide 21 are resilient springV grlppers, each comprising an intermediate downvturned arm 28 -spaced between a pair of upturned arms 429. The purpose of these spring arms is to engage the end of a used blade in the razor when the feed slide is moved to the end'of its blade delivering stroke and to withdraw the used blade from therazor when the magazine is separated from it. In making engagement with the blade, the grippers'bow it transversally upwardly and Y so tend to free it from *he blade seat of the razor.

wardly from the bottom of the well is a bladelocating rib 22 and a pair of blade-locating studs responds substantially to the solid end portion of l the blade. A bowed yspring 24 is placed with its 'ends resting upon the bottom of the well 2|.

The spring is slotted or cut away to clear the blade-locating rib 22 and studs 23. It is bowed upwardly to engage the blade stack and hold the uppermost blade therein yieldingly in contact vwith the top flanges I6 of the-magazine casing. Within the casing, -the ba'se 20 is provided with a pair of upstanding posts 25 near each of its ends and these posts serve as stops to limit the inward movement of the guard member of the safety razor as will be apparent from Figs. 6 and 7.

At each endl of the magazine is provided a cross-bar 26 forming the bottom of the magazine opening and having curved guiding surfaces which control the ventering movement of the guard member of the razor as will be presently described. The two top flanges I6 are curved and beveled at their outer ends and each thus pro-l A safety razor constructed and arranged to co-operate with the magazine above described is shownin Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings. The

' illustrated razor includes in its structure a bladesupporting or guard member 30, which is rec,- tangular in outline and provided with a blade seat convex in transverse contour. This member is provided along each edge with guard elements, specifically with a guard bar 3| set off from the body of the member by elongated slots. Each guard bar terminates in a corner projection 32 extending substantially below the line vof the guard bar 3|. The guard member Vis provided centrally lwitha hole into which is inserted and fastened the razor handle 33. Between this hole and the blade-receiving end of the guard is provided-a blade-locating rib 34 having an upper edge surface which-slopes downwardly in both directions from a central point in order to facilitate the passage over the rib of the solid end of'the blade. Adjacent to the forward end of the rib I4 is a shallow stud 35 shaped to fit one of the enlargements I2 of the blade slot and to retain a blade accurately in the proper longitudinal position when it has 'once been presented to the bladeseat. In the under side of the guard member is also provided a wide rectangular channel 36 Co-operating with the guard member 3l) is a cap member 31, similar in outline but vof some-l whatk lesswidth and having a transversely concave blade-engaging face. It is provided centrally with a threaded hole 38 for connection with f the clamping spindle of the razor and .with a longitudinal slotor groove 39, affording clearance for the rib 34. of the guard member when the cap is brought into blade-clamping position. At its rear end the cap is provided with spaced downwardly extendingarms 40, formed integral with an inwardly extending connecting bar or flange 4I which is spaced from the body of the cap and provided at its inner end with a circular clearance aperture 42, disposed concentrically with respect vto the threaded hole 38. A bowed blade seat of the guard member 30 or upon a blade presented thereon.

The tubular handle 33 of the razor is provided with a spindle 44, threaded at its upper end to lt the threaded hole 38 of the cap and provided With an intermediate shoulder 45 and with a knurled nut 46 at its lower end. A compression spring 41 bearing against the shoulder 45 of the spindle and an internal shoulder provided in the handle 33 tends to move the spindle always downwardly into an inoperative position in which it clears the blade passage between the cap and the guard as shown in Fig. 3.

The spring 43 tends at all times to lift the cap 34, maintaining it in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the cap is disengaged from the spindle 44. A passageway for the blade is thus provided between the convex face or blade-seat of the guard member 30 and the concave face of the cap 31. The razor handle 33 is provided at its upper end with a collar 48 which ts against the under side of the guard 30 and is of such diameter as to fill the clearance aperture 42 in the connecting bar 4| of the cap. So long as the cap is maintained in its lifted position, as shown in Fig. 3, its connecting bar 4| is therefore interlocked with the collar 48 of the razor handle. If it is desired to detach the cap from the razor for cleaning or inspection, the user has only to depress the cap against the pressure of the spring 43 so that the connecting bar 4| with its aperture 42 is carried below the collar 48 of the handle. Whenthis is done, the cap may be disengaged by merely sliding it toward the left as seen in Fig. 3.

The blade may be supplied by hand to the razor while its cap 3l is lifted as shown in Fig. 3, by advancing the blade from right to left, flexing its advancing solid end over the rib 34 and continuing its movement until the rearmost of itstwo diamond-shaped enlargements I2 registers with the stud 35. In this positionthe blade is accurately located for shaving, as shown in Fig. 8.

When it is desired to supply the razor with blades from the magazine herein described, the spindle 44 is disengaged from the cap as shown in Fig. 3 and the right-hand end of the guard member .30 is inserted telescoplcally within the end of the magazine indicated by the arrows I1. This entering movement is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, from which it will be noted that the projections 32 of the guard member 3D are engaged and guided by the curved surfaces of the cross-bar 26 at the end of themagazine. As shown in Fie'. 6, the co-action of these members registers the pro- `iecting ends of the flanges |6 upon the blade seat of the guard member beneath one end of the blade I0 which has been used in the razor and is now resting freely and in at position upon the blade seat. Asthe telescopic movement of the magazine and guard member progresses, the proiections 32 of the razor pass completely over the cross-bar 26 so that the magazine moves upwardly with respect to the guard member 30, lifting or prying the blade I upwardly from the blade seat and freeing it from the stud 35. After this occurs. the telescopic movement continues until the end of the guard member 30 encounters the posts 25 within the magazine. When this occurs, the magazine and razor are properly located for the delivery of afresh blade to the razor.

Accordingly the feed slide 21 is moved toward the left, as seen in Fig. 1. 'I'he uppermost blade I0 of the stack is advanced endwise by the slide.

y iianges I6 of the magazine.

passing inwardly upon the blade seat beneath the used blade which has been lifted, as already explained, by the projecting ends of the flanges I6. The fresh blade is advanced fully into position, moving beneath the used blade and as the feed slide approaches the end of its feeding movement the arms 28 and 29 of the gripper engage the outer end of the used blade, which up to that time has remained in vposition directly above the fresh blade. Now, as the magazine is separated from the razor, the gripper retains its hold upon the used blade and the latter is withdrawn from the razor as suggested in Fig. 9. In its delivering movement, the feed slide is passed from one end of the arrows I1 to the other. In Fig. 9, it is represented as covering the arrowheads, lwhich are exposed in Fig. 1. 'I'he arrowheads, which have been exposed in this feeding movement, now indicate that the next blade is to be delivered from the other end of the magazine. Therefore, preparatory to the next delivery operation, the magagine must be reversed, end for end.

When the solid end portion of the fresh blade reaches the rib 34 it rides up its inclined edge, passing beneath the used blade which has previously been lifted from the blade seat by the This lifting action of the rib prevents the forward enlargement of the blade from registering with the stud 35. The end of the fresh blade then progresses down the rear or inner inclined edge of the rib 34 and the body of the rib enters the slot Il of the blade so that the blade is permitted to rest upon the blade seat and its rear enlargement I 2 to settle into place upon the stud 35.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent:

1. A safety razor comprising co-operating elon- .gated members having opposed blade-clamping faces, and a longitudinal blade-locating rib projecting from one of said faces and merging at one end into a wide stud shaped to t into an enlargement of corresponding contour in the slot of a blade located upon said rib.

2. A safety .razor comprising co-operating elongated members having opposed blade-clamping faces and being connected at one end, a lon-` gitudinal rib projecting from one of said faces adjacent to the free end of the clamping members, and a wide shallow stud including a part of said rib within its contour.

3. A safety razor comprising co-operating elongated members having opposed blade-clamping faces, a longitudinal rib projecting from one of said faces and tapering both ways from its mid-section, and a stud wider than the rib disposed on both sides of said rib adjacent one end thereof.

4. A safety razor comprising elongated cap and guard members having opposed blade-clamping faces, and being connected at one end while leaving a blade passage at the other, a single longitu` dinal blade-locating rib projecting from the faces of the guard member adjacent to the unconnected end of said member, and a wide shallow stud ot substantially square contour disposed on both sides of said rib near its forward end.

' NICHOLAS TESTI. 

